The term “yellow journalism” was first coined in the 19th century to refer to the various forms of sensationalism used to draw the attention of readers and secure viewer support. Although yellow journalism today isn’t as blatant as before, new versions commonly known as clickbait are seen everywhere, from oversensaitionalized headlines to YouTube video titles. Clickbait is defined as something, such as a misleading title, used to entice readers to click on a link, and it dominates the internet.
Clickbait is most prevalent and recognizable in YouTube videos, from over exaggerated thumbnails to doubtful storytimes. Many YouTubers even have clickbait to credit for their rise to fame or infamy. David Dobrik is a popular name in the discussion of clickbait: Instead of trying to disguise his use of clickbait, Dobrik turned it into his brand and even sells clickbait merchandise.
A less blatant platform that takes advantage of clickbait is Buzzfeed. Known for their attention-grabbing quizzes, from “Answer These Random Questions And We’ll Tell You What You Should Do Right Now” to “Which Disney Prince is Your Actual Soulmate,” almost every internet user has been tricked into clicking through a series of tempting titles.
“I think [Buzzfeed’s use of clickbait] is kind of dirty because a lot of stuff they put is the same things they put a week before, except they just changed the [title],” said senior Emily Gavidia.
Sophomore Mithra Venkatesh takes issue with news companies using clickbait.
“I don’t like the fact that a bigger news production company, such a Buzzfeed, needs to use clickbait,” she said. “It’s one thing for YouTubers to use it, but another when respectable news compan[ies] do.”
Not only do these titles and online quizzes continue to rack up millions of clicks, they further promote the creation of inadequate, insubstantial content. More views means more money, so for YouTubers, clickbait is the ultimate jackpot. From Dobrik’s “we broke up” video to It’s R Life’s “Finding Out We’re Pregnant and We Had a Break In,” YouTubers have been milking this form of allure for years.
“It just goes back to the fact [that] there’s a lot of repetition in the type of content that people post,” Gavidia said. “In order [for YouTubers] to separate themselves from those categories and make a name [for themselves], people go that route [of using clickbait] to get more views.”
Since the surplus of enticing titles has become such a norm, most of the audience is aware and bored. Even content creators are aware of this, as YouTubers like Caspar Lee and Dobrik are resorting to even more overemphasized titles with the hope of maintaining views and subscribers.
Misleading video thumbnails also have the ability to lose the credibility and trust of audiences. When youtuber Jake Paul posted a video titled “I Lost My Virginity…” that turned out to be him going skiing for the first time, the extremely misleading thumbnail not only resulted in many angry comments, but also broke the trust between the subscriber and his fans, as many were expecting a juicy confession.
With clickbait’s ability to manipulate emotion and provoke curiosity, it’s proven to attract more views, despite the audience’s belief that it is misleading and wrong. People continue to click on outrageous titles and quizzes, despite knowing that there is only a slim chance their curiosity will be adequately fulfilled by its content. Taking advantage of viewers’ curious nature for the sake of profit, clickbait, be it in the form of national headlines or celebrity gossip, is here to stay.
